BHS Adult Summer Camp East of England Region

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The two individual weeks of BHS Adult Summer Camp, held at Forest Edge Equestrian Centre, came to an end on 24 July as the last of the campers headed home with increased confidence, happy smiles and words of encouragement from instructors and fellow campers alike.

During their stay the campers were expertly guided by the ‘Dream Team’ of Carole Broad FBHS, Caroline Meads BHSI, Clare Pettitt BHSII and Sarah-Jayne Bowers BHSII from their initial introductions and assessments, through flatwork, pole and grid, course jumping and cross-country lessons, to the final fun afternoon of competitions. There were plenty of thrills, but very few spills, in fact none at all in the second week, despite many campers achieving far beyond what they had set out to do. In addition to all the riding opportunities, there were talks on a range of subjects such as equine first aid and horse handling, and visits from a saddle fitter and a representative from Spillers with a weighbridge and dietary advice.

Each week culminated in a wonderfully empowering Prize Awards ceremony, with the results of the competitions and the ‘Special’ and ‘Most Improved’ Awards announced to much cheering and frequent emotional moments.

‘Fantastic camp, brilliant instructors, brilliant support. Exceeded my expectations, I’ve gained so much confidence!’ was one camper’s comments, and this was a common theme echoed by many. Thanks must go to the new team at Forest Edge for the effort that they put into ensure that the camp ran smoothly, in addition to providing good food and a steady stream of tea and coffee, even when the first week’s thunderstorm tried to wash everyone away.

We are looking forward to seeing plenty of returning campers and new faces next year, so do watch out for the dates when they are released.